1985 Singles # 10 Tom Waits

 

In my first term at university. In Autumn of 1985. I went back to London for a week. Saw Tom Waits on the Sunday, At the Dominion Thestre off the Tottenham Court Road in the Sunday. R.E.M. at the Hammersmith Palais on the Wednesday. I'll never go to a pair of gigs like that in such close proximity again in my lifetime.

Waits was bathing in critical adoration. Rain Dogs was just out. One of his defining records. Twisted and baroque. Poet Hobo.He remains a complete one off.Perhaps Shane McGowan was the contemporary who most compares. If we could all write like that we would. It's great that we have him to do so for us. He's inspirational.

Rod Stewart covereed this song later. Stewart has a wpndrous grainy voice. But he should have left this one alone even though it made him money. He tidied it up. This is a song that needs to stay messy to be expressed properly.